The True Tale of the Fountain of Fair Fortune
by Ayla Pascal
Summary: Beedle the Bard almost got this story right.


It all started with an apple. A juicy sweet apple and a stomach gnawing hunger.

Altheda couldn't help staring at the apple, grasped in the hands of a wrinkled old crone. The crone grinned at her, a wide toothless grin. "Hungry, my dear?" She held the apple out enticingly.

Altheda could feel her stomach contract and churn with anticipation. She definitely was hungry, but she needed to get back to her family. She had been tasked with selling their cow, which had fetched a handsome price of twenty Galleons. But then again, Altheda hadn't tasted apples in over a year. Her mouth watered. "How much?" she asked, fumbling in her purse. The gold Galleons glittered under the sunlight.

The apple floated over to her. "One Knut," the old woman said cheerfully.

The exchange – Knut for apple – happened seamlessly and Altheda walked away happily munching away at her apple that was every bit as sweet and juicy as it had originally looked.

It was only later when she got home that Altheda realised her purse was empty.

-***-

Altheda could have kicked herself. In fact, she spent nearly ten minutes kicking a wall until her mother came out and glared at her. "I expect," her mother said icily, "that you will come back either with another cow, or twenty Galleons." Altheda noticed her knuckles were white from clenching her wand. "Do not darken this doorstep again until either happens."

And so, Altheda was left, alone, without even a Knut to her name.

She still had the apple core. Moodily, she kicked it against the wall of their cottage.

-***-

The Fountain had always been a fairy tale to Altheda. Yet, as she found herself without another choice, she decided to hunt it down.

It was surprisingly easy to find.

Although, Altheda learned from the trickles of people that appeared, looking desolate, it was apparently difficult to reach.

"Virtually impossible," a voice said grimly.

Altheda turned around and beheld a woman who looked about her own age. She looked haggard. "Are you trying for the Fountain too?" she asked.

The woman nodded. "I'm sick," she explained. "I can't seem to get up in the morning. I'm always tired. I feel sad even though there's nothing sad in my life. Some days I don't even want to move. I don't want to eat or drink anything. I want the Fountain to cure me."

Altheda felt a twinge of sympathy. It was obvious this woman was needier than she was. Despite her fine clothes, she could detect a distinct sorrow about the other woman. "I'm poor," she said quietly.

The woman's mouth twisted slightly. "There's no doubt you'll get to the Fountain rather than me. You'll pass the challenges. You deserve it."

Altheda felt her face turn red. She knew her robes were tattered, practically falling apart, but it was rather rude for the other woman to mention it. Yet... she could feel her heart going out to the woman. It was obvious she didn't mean anything by the words. "What's your name?"

"Asha."

"Perhaps," Altheda hesitated, "perhaps we could help each other."

-***-

Three days later, Amata – a beautiful, brown-haired and broken-hearted woman – and a Muggle knight had joined them.

As Altheda looked around at their group, she knew they couldn't fail. Even Asha was looking more positive as they neared the beginning of the trail to the Fountain. "Thank you," Asha said quietly one night, laying her own hand on Altheda's. "Thank you for this. I couldn't have made it this far without you."

Altheda shivered at the touch. Impulsively, she leaned forward and hugged Asha. "We'll all get there. The Fountain will cure us all."

-***-

By the time they had passed the third challenge, Asha was smiling. "Congratulations," she said to Amata as she dropped her memories into the river. "That was an ingenious plan."

Altheda couldn't help notice how much Asha's face lit up when she smiled. Her blue eyes brightened and became bluer. Her hair shone in the sunlight and Altheda hadn't noticed before how graceful the other woman was.

"We're almost there," Amata said, happily. "Soon, I'll be able to forget the pain he put me through." Her face darkened slightly.

Asha's expression crumpled. As Altheda watched, she saw the other woman droop visibly and become somebody very different to the woman she had grown to like in the past week. It was almost like she was a shadow of the person she was only a few minutes before. "Hopefully," she said softly.

"We will," Altheda said strongly. She reached over and touched Asha's arm, not knowing why she wanted to touch her but just wanting to. "We've passed the challenges. It's just a day to the Fountain now. It's a simple walk."

Asha nodded.

-***-

The Fountain was beautiful. Sparkling cascading water bubbled out of a crystal Fountain base. The entire area was exploding with greenery. Ferns grew around the edge of the Fountain.

Asha sat down on the ground heavily.

Altheda knelt down beside her. "Are you alright?" she asked. "We're here. We've finally reached the Fountain. We can all be cured now!"

Asha tilted her head slightly towards Amata and the knight. Altheda turned her head to look. A surprised smile passed her face as she saw Amata and the knight in a tight embrace.

Amata's face was red when she turned towards them. "It turns out I don't need the Fountain anymore," she said happily. She turned towards the knight and kissed him again. "We'll see you two at the bottom of the mountain?"

Althea nodded and watched as they left. She turned back towards Asha who was staring at the ground as if it contained the deepest secrets of life. "Shall we drink from the Fountain?"

"It won't bring me what I want," Asha muttered.

Altheda frowned. "But it'll cure you..." she trailed off. Reaching over slowly, she tilted Asha's face up. "What do you really want?"

Asha turned her head. "I..."

But Altheda had seen her eyes. She had seen the emotion in them. It was the same emotion she had just seen in Amata's eyes when she was looking at the knight.

"It'll never happen," Asha said.

Altheda took a deep breath. She could either do this now, or she could get up and drink from the Fountain and then leave Asha sitting there alone. Leaning forward she pressed a quick kiss onto Asha's lips, feeling a shiver run through her own body.

The change in Asha was miraculous. She turned slowly towards Altheda. "You..." she said. "You..."

Altheda leaned forward and kissed her again.

-***-

It turned out neither of them needed the Fountain. Asha had a fortune left to her by her grandfather which solved Altheda's problems.

Asha's problem wasn't solved so easily. She was still prone to melancholy but Altheda found that she tended to smile more and seem happier.

The Fountain worked, Altheda mused one day as she knitted. She looked up and saw Asha smile at her from where she was making dinner.

It just hadn't worked in the way she had originally thought.

-fin


End file.
